The New Adventures of Hikari
by Majo.Hikari
Summary: Hikari has been reborn and given new memories in the Universe ruled by Leviathan the Eidolon. She and Cantirena are being trained as human weapons against the Ardent. Hikari possesses the powers of the Speed Force, but can she unlock its secrets in time? Will Hikari finally have her happy ending?
1. Prologue: Repurposed

**Based on:** Final Fantasy Record Keeper

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy, Record Keeper, or any of the characters within it.

 **Note:** Welcome! This is my first installment in the project that SuzuriHeinze and I are working on. Go check out her story, The Secret Garden. You might also want to read my previous stories, Records of Keeper Hikari and Vivi's Burden if you want to know what's going on here. Also Suzuri's former story Records of Keeper Canti. Even then, there's lots of unwritten stuff that has been either RPed or heavily discussed between Suzuri and I. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to fill in any gaps.

 **Warnings:** Mention of CanonxOC, Polyamory, Pansexuality. Potential OOC.

From her mighty throne woven from starlight, Cosmos could see everything in the multiverse. She witnessed Hikari combust from her experiment. She saw Vivi try not to cry while Minwu tended to his wounds. She watched the pink flaming energy that was Hikari race in a panic through every corner of the mutltiverse looking for any sign of her friend and Vivi pick up on her wavelength in his sleep. Finally, the pink energy raced towards Cosmos herself and She caught it effortlessly. The Mother Goddess calmed the erratic energy and soothed it into a small pulsing ball within Her hands.

"Oh, little one. Your devotion to your friend is great. You have also suffered much. If you wish to see her again so greatly, I shall grant it," She said softly and lovingly. She turned towards the universe that Leviathan reigned over. "Leviathan, my son, come to me now."

As quickly as She had said his name, the Eidolon appeared suddenly at the foot of her throne.

"How may I assist you, Heavenly Mother?" Leviathan bowed.

"Leviathan, I have another charge for you. This is Cantirena's friend, Hikari, and I wish of you to do the same for her that you did for the other child." She manipulated the energy between her hands until it took the form of a small child of ten, still pink in essence. Leviathan took a sharp breath, wanting to deny Cosmos this second project. He had only just set the final touches on Canti and her nakama, not to mention getting chewed out by his wife Asura, and frankly, he could do with a decent night's sleep for once. All the same, he could not deny the Goddess that gave him life.

"Yes, of course. You would have me keep a special eye on her like Cantirena to one day prepare her for the inevitable battle against the Ardent?" Cosmos smiled.

"That's right. This girl had no living blood relations when she perished. Her closest ties were her lovers, her chosen little brother, and the man who cared for her like a father. I heard his promise to her to be there for her and to protect her always," the Mother Goddess continued as She fleshed out Hikari. Long, pink hair contrasted against honey skin and eyes as blue as the Sea of Spira. Cosmos loved that large body of water; it had been one of her more favorite creations. "Find my messenger Auron, and tell him his work for me is done, for the time being. Repurpose him for a life in Daguerro along with Hikari, Tidus, Yuna, Locke, and Vivi. These are the people whom our little pink enigma needs most surrounding her."  
"Ahh, but… My Heavenly Mother, the girl's lovers are under stasis as punishment for fraternization with her. She never fulfilled the Council's demand to provide alternative Souls for them," the Eidolon protested.

"Leviathan…" Cosmos said, an edge of sternness to her otherwise gentle voice.

"Yes, Mother. Of course. I shall retrieve them right away," he said, bowing again before he cradled Hikari in his arms.

"Thank you, my son," Cosmos smiled warmly. "Oh, and Leviathan?"

"Yes?"

"Her speed is of utmost importance. She is still One with the Speed Force, but you will need to help her foster it before she can truly unlock its true potential. That, combined with Cantirena's magic, is our only hope against the Ardent. Take great heed, my son."

"Of course, Heavenly Mother. I shall not fail you."

. . .

Leviathan sipped slowly from his coffee mug, which had the words "Go East-1 District Abes! Blitz!" with a blitzball on the side, and he rubbed his temples after setting it back down.

 _Saving the cosmos never comes at an easy price_ , he told himself.

"First and foremost, Hikari herself," he spoke aloud. He grumbled slightly, since Cosmos had taken special care to program Canti Herself, but seemed to have left Hikari's reprogramming to his imagination. "I suppose since Hikari hasn't seen the same kind of hardship the other has."

Leviathan made sure to first wipe her memories of Ramuh's realm. He quickly programmed her to have the the bubbly confident persona that was common to Keeper Hikari when she felt on top of the world, competitive, and… he kept the fierce loyalty. Instead of losing a father to war, he chose to have her birth parents give her up early on, so that she would never feel the loss of them. Brought in by Auron at roughly the same time Cid adopted Canti. Brilliant at both theory and application and… _Let's dial back the obsessive nature a bit._ There. He looked at Hikari in her crystal and nodded to himself.

 _Now, the ronin. Obviously the memories of traveling between realms must go, but I cannot simply wipe them. There may yet be a day that Cosmos calls upon him once more._ He decided to keep those memories dormant, capable of being awakened should a threat pass through the universal barrier. Leviathan kept the distrust of authority and religion. Age set to... 30 seemed like a good rounded age. He formed memories of Auron, Jecht, and Braska growing up together and dumped the memories of Spira, Sin, and the Pilgrimages. The Eidolon made sure to keep the devotion to Hikari and her safety and the fatherly love Auron felt for her. Before adopting Hikari, Leviathan programmed in memories of fighting as a sell sword after being groomed from an early age to serve in the Senate. He would discover corruption and turn from the path that had been laid out for him since birth, not unlike his other life in Spira. _There. That should do it._

Leviathan looked towards the next crystal. Tidus. This was a simpler rewrite. He dialed his age back to just a year older than Hikari. This time, Tidus would have both his parents watch him grow up, something Jecht would have given anything for back in Spira. Leviathan chuckled to himself and brought his mug to his lips. He might scold himself about reading cheesy human novels, but he did love his happy endings. Or beginning in this case, he supposed. The Eidolon wiped the memories of the Dream Zanarkand and Spira. He kept the light-hearted but still fiercely competitive spirit, the things that Hikari loved about him. This time, Tidus would be Hikari's childhood best friend. Tidus would encourage and push her to better herself from a young age.

Yuna's crystal was next. She proved to be a bit more difficult for Leviathan. He of course wiped the hardships of her Pilgrimage, but kept the unwavering faith that Yuna held in even the darkest of times. This, coupled with her unwavering loyalty and love of her friends was what originally attracted Hikari to her. The towering Eidolon, still tall in his swivel chair, made the summoner's father, Braska, an honest member of the Senate. Her mother would have died early on in Yuna's life. He set her age the same as Tidus's. He kept the innate talent for White Magic and Summoning.

 _And now, Vivi, the little brother._ No need for any memories of Gaia or the struggle of autonomy. _He'll live with his beloved grandfather… a year younger than Hikari, but still a brilliant Black Mage and a year ahead in school._ He wondered if he should program Vivi as already knowing Hikari. After a moment of deliberation, he decided it would be better to let their friendship develop naturally. Knowing Vivi's clumsiness and strange magnetism for trouble, he figured it wouldn't be too long until the black mage stumbled into trouble and Hikari rescued him.

He turned to the final crystal. _The most important piece of the puzzle_ , he told himself. Locke Cole. Hikari's life partner. He was the one who had fostered Hikari's love of adventure, both as a student studying Sixth Realm History and after she rescued him. The love of adventure had to stay. _Rachel… the memories of Rachel must go. Her death would be a fixed point in time even if I brought her to this realm… No, I cannot have Locke trapped in his own head for years while he gets over Rachel._ Leviathan also decided to keep the quality that had Locke helping those weaker than himself and those in need. His kindness. These were the core of what made Locke Cole who he was and what caused Hikari to fall in love with him and decide she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Leviathan also decided to put in Edgar as his best friend. _Every leading man needs his best friend_. Everything else from the Sixth Realm was wiped. He set Locke (and Edgar) to two years older than Hikari.

 _There_ , he sighed. Leviathan looked into his coffee mug and realized it was cold before it even touched his lips.

"Maybe now I can get a decent night's sleep."

"Not likely!" Asura shouted coyly from another room.

 _=Hikari awakens… Next Time!=_


	2. Chapter 1: Recalling

**Based on:** Final Fantasy Record Keeper

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy, Record Keeper, or any of the characters within it.

 **Note:** Welcome! This is part of the project that SuzuriHeinze and I are working on. Go check out her story, The Secret Garden. You might also want to read my previous stories, Records of Keeper Hikari and Vivi's Burden if you want to know what's going on here. Also Suzuri's former story Records of Keeper Canti. Even then, there's lots of unwritten stuff that has been either RPed or heavily discussed between Suzuri and I. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to fill in any gaps.

 **Warnings:** OC, Potential OOC, silliness

Hikari stirred, yet did not fully awaken. The sound of crashing waves filled her ears. For a brief moment, she remembered everything as one recollects a dream they just had. And then it was gone. She slowly blinked, revealing her sea blue eyes. She stared at the ceiling, struggling to remember the dream she'd just had. It had been so interesting, she thought to herself as she slowly stretched out from her hips to the tips of her toes. She sat up in bed and raised her arms, stretching out her upper body as she yawned.

"Hikari…?" a gruff voice called out to her. At first, the hair on the back of her neck rose up. Who was that? Didn't she live by herself? … As she woke up more, Auron stumbled into her bedroom, wearing only a pair of red boxers. And then she remembered.

"Dad!" she found herself giggling as she tackled him into a hug. Auron laughed.

"Ahaha - ow ow, ow, your elbow's digging into my ribs, careful careful," Auron grunted as he adjusted to sit on his knee comfortably as he himself sat cross-legged on the floor. He ruffled Hikari's vibrant, but messy, pink hair.

"Goodness, I slept like a rock. How about you, kid?" She nodded.

"I didn't wake up at all until just now! I did have this weird dream, but I can't seem to remember it…" Auron nodded in agreement.

"I had an odd dream too, but can't for the life of me remember what happened," he stared up at the ceiling, his one good brown eye twinkling thoughtfully. He was only 30, but the corners of his eyes painted a story of a man who had seen much in his life. Ever since he rejected his hand-picked life after graduating from the Academy and leading the life of a wandering sellsword in the lands beyond the barrier, things hadn't been easy. And then something had drawn him back to Daguerro. Just like that, he chose to adopt a child and petition the Council for a year off, as was the custom after adoption. The Council had made him swear not to share what he'd seen beyond the barrier. But, the funny thing was, after a year of being a stay at home father, learning the ins and outs of Hikari's favorite things, he found his time of being a sellsword nothing more than a hazy memory. He shook his head. It mattered not.

"That's the last time I stay up with you playing Duel Monsters," he laughed. Hikari bounced up, pointing a triumphant finger at him.  
"That's just because I whooped you good, Dad! I'm a champion!" she pulled a muscleman pose that looked totally ridiculous on her lithe tan frame. Auron bellowed out laughter as Hikari continued to pose in her soft blue flannel pajamas adorned with chocobo heads. They were interrupted by a quick knock at the door.

"Oh, ah, you better get that, kid," Auron told her as he stood up to go take a quick shower and dress. "It's probably Tidus." Hikari beamed as she bounded to the door and opened it swiftly.

"Heya, Hikari! You ready to walk to school for enrollment?" Messy blond hair with mischievous blue eyes were some of Tidus's more prominent features. He wore an open yellow shirt along with denim shorts, the legs both different lengths, and simple yellow and greeen sandals. Hikari nodded, ready to run and play with her friend in the streets as they made their way to the Academy.

"Hold on, Hikari. I'd feel better if I came with you to enroll for your first year. You know you have a tendency to get overwhelmed with paperwork. Hikari pouted for a moment, though it over, and then nodded up at her father. Tidus couldn't help but stare. Auron stopped, blinking, looking down at his body, half of it covered up with a towel, fresh from the shower. "Oh, ahh, I better go change. You too, Hikari."

. . .

The school entrance was bustling with families, those who had already registered and those who were taking their time to go in. Hikari wore a simple white summer dress with black sandals. She smiled as the wind blew through her long pink hair and fluttered her dress. She stopped. She saw a quiet, brunette girl in a long blue skirt, white knotted shirt, and a pretty obi standing by the statue of Cosmos. The girl looked up at Cosmos, thoughtfully, while holding the hand of a man in a long red robe. Hikari assumed it must be the girl's father. The girl suddenly noticed she was being watched and looked at Hikari. Their eyes caught, and though they were a short distance away, Hikari saw her hetero-chromatic eyes clearly. One blue, like the sea, and the other a swirly green. The girl smiled at her warmly and the pink haired girl gave a shy wave. Tidus poked Hikari in the back, ending her nice moment, and ran away laughing.

"Last one in is a rotten egg, Hikari!"

"You're on!" She started running after him immediately, and just barely passed him before crossing into the threshold. She flashed the victory sign as Tidus huffed behind her.

"How do you do that? You always seem to beat me at the last second!" Auron laughed as he followed in after them.

"It's because you always assume she won't beat you, so you don't take it seriously." Tidus blew a raspberry at Auron and giggled.

"Well, shall we wait in line?" Hikari's father asked, getting them situated in the queue. When they arrived at the large desk, the secretary asked Hikari her name.

"H-Hikari Murasaki." The secretary clicked away at her keyboard while focusing on the small sphere in front of her.

"Ah yes, Miss Murasaki. You've already been registered and you are to report to Headmaster Leviathan. He will have your uniforms. Please, take a seat over there with the other student and her father," the secretary gestured over to a young blue hair girl and a gruff looking blonde man. Tidus looked sadly after them.

"Don't worry, Tidus! We'll meet up after and get some lunch! Oh. Thank you very much ma'am," Hikari nodded at the secretary. Tidus perked up also.

"You can come over to my house! Mom is making chocobo curry!" Hikari drooled as they walked towards the waiting area. Tidus's mom was amazing at cooking and they often shared meals together as one big family.

She sat down on a plush seat and bounced up and down impatiently. She stared at the other girl and they locked eyes, but only for a brief moment.

"Uncle Cid?" she heard suddenly. She looked and saw a slightly older boy, no more than a year more than herself, with pretty blond hair that reminded her of moonlight pulled into a tight pony tail. Oh, he was here for the girl and her father, who Hikari now knew was called Cid. She went back to bouncing and humming to herself. A few minutes later the boy, who she heard was called Kain, knelt in front of the blue haired girl. Hikari felt herself cooing softly at the cuteness.

"Please don't be scared. No one will bully you while I'm around, cousin. No one will dare tease you. I promise. Highwinds have to stick together, after all."

"Oh, is _that_ why you're so nervous?" Hikari blurted without thinking, something which Auron always scolded her for.

"Hikari! You can't just say something like that!"

"But but! I was just wondering, Dad!" Auron shook his head, holding up his hand. He turned to Cid.

"I apologize. My daughter has a tendency to speak without thinking." Cid nodded in understanding and looked at Hikari.

"It's alright. Cantirena is a bit socially awkward. She was teased a lot at the orphanage, so she doesn't do too well in situations with a lot of people."

"You're adopted?" Hikari asked, her eyes glittering. "I was too! My Dad adopted me last year around this time. Huh, I wonder why we never ran into each other." Cantirena shrugged shyly and turned away. Cid had already redirected his attention to Kain and his father Richard.

After that, the wait dragged on for what felt like hours, but it was only more like twenty minutes. Hikari laid in the chair starting up at the ceiling and kicking her feet.

"I'm booooored, Dad." Auron sighed.

"Just a bit longer," he said calmly. Just as he said that, a door beyond the front desk opened and Headmaster Leviathan walked out swiftly, wearing regal robes that ebbed and flowed like an ocean. His hair glittered like fish scales bathed in sunlight. As he drew nearer her nostrils were filled with the comforting smell of a sea breeze. He stood between the two girls.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to make you all wait. I am Headmaster Leviathan, and I am honored to welcome you two lovely ladies to Daguerro Garden Academy." He gave the two of them expectant glances. "You two are special. You both scored highest on the entrance exams, and as such, have earned places of honor here at the school. I am looking forward to watching the two of you come into your own. Grow strong, little ones. With determination in your hearts, you can face anything that opposes you."

Auron felt a tear well up in his eye. He felt proud that Hikari, _his_ precious daughter, was an honor student and that the Headmaster believed in her future success.

"You r-really think I'm special?" Canti said and Hikari noticed her looking away meekly down at the ornate rug. "But I'm n-not, you know..." Leviathan leaned down and whispered something only the shy girl could hear. Hikari gasped as a soft blue light emanated from the Headmaster's left hand, reaching out to Canti. She seemed immediately soothed. He turned to Hikari, reaching out his right hand to her, and began to whisper only to the young girl. She grabbed his hand with both of hers instinctively and gazed into his eyes. Eyes that had held the color of the raging sea, but were somehow... Kind and gentle.

"I am confident you will unlock several secrets of our world. Hikari, you must promise me that no matter what happens, you will never lose your childlike sense of wonder and happiness. And always, always keep running." Hikari tilted her head quizzically at him. What on earth could that mean?

"And with that, my dears," he said pulling back and speaking to both of them, "I hope to see you both once during each term to discuss your progress," he continued as he withdrew his hands from both of them. He then snapped his fingers, and two beautiful women dressed in school faculty clothing came from the direction of his office carrying huge boxes. "These boxes contain everything you are permitted to wear as part of your uniforms. There's also a little pamphlet detailing school rules, so try to give it a read sometime today. You'll receive your schedule tomorrow at Orientation, so be here bright and early and ready to learn, my precious students!" The tall man smiled, and excused himself with the women who had delivered the boxes.

Hikari stared at wonder at the big box that had been placed in front of her. She attempted to lift it up, but dropped it due to the big size. Auron helped her pick it up and she took it and balanced it on her head, giving him a toothy grin.

"Well, shall we go find Tidus and join him for lunch?" Auron said, ruffling her pink hair.

"Yeah!" she said excitedly, ready to eat some yummy curry.

=Hikari starts school... Next time!=


	3. Chapter 2: Reposition

**Based on:** Final Fantasy Record Keeper

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy, Record Keeper, or any of the characters within it.

 **Note:** Welcome! This is part of the project that SuzuriHeinze and I are working on. Go check out her story, The Secret Garden. You might also want to read my previous stories, Records of Keeper Hikari and Vivi's Burden if you want to know what's going on here. Also Suzuri's former story Records of Keeper Canti. Even then, there's lots of unwritten stuff that has been either RPed or heavily discussed between Suzuri and I. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to fill in any gaps.

This chapter was a lot of fun to write, especially Hikari's fight during Initiation. I took a lot of inspiration from Hologram!Pearl in Steven Universe. I hope you enjoy!

 **Warnings:** OC, Potential OOC, silliness

Hikari bounced awake early before her father even stirred. She showered, brushed her teeth and hair. She opened the big box she had received the day before and mused over her choices. She had never felt very girly, but she felt inspired to dress up, at least for the first day of school. She chose the blouse, tan vest, the skirt, tights, and paired them with the nice black loafers Auron had bought her on the way home yesterday. She mused at herself in the mirror, and decided to put her hair up in a simple ponytail, but took the red ribbon Auron had given her the day he adopted her and tied it around her hair in a nice bow. He said it was a very special ribbon he had come across in one of his adventures. Her father had made her promise to never let anyone take it and encouraged her to wear it as often as possible. She looked at herself in the mirror again and smiled with a nod.

Hikari walked to the kitchen and browsed the current stock of food. Chocobo eggs, bacon, and... Enough flour and milk for pancakes. She took the smaller apron off the kitchen hook and tied it to her body. First she started a pot of coffee for her father, as she knew he'd need to be alert while he was job hunting today. Hikari quickly mixed together the batter for the pancake and then poured some into a frying pan while starting the bacon in another. The smell of the food reached Auron's nostrils and gently coaxed him awake. He shuffled into the kitchen just as Hikari was finishing the last pancake and starting on the eggs.

"Good morning!" she beamed at him. He couldn't help but smile even though he still felt half asleep.

"Mornin', flower," he said softly as he patted her head, noticing her hair up and not wanting to mess it up. He poured himself a cup of coffee. "Smells great."

Hikari nodded as she slid the fried eggs onto a plate. "Help me carry these to the kitchen?" She took the eggs and bacon and left the leaning tower of pancakes to him. After placing the food at the table, she grabbed two more plates and silverware. Sitting down to their meal, Auron took a sip of coffee.

"Excited for your first day?" Hikari took a stack of three pancakes, a handful of bacon and two fried eggs. She buttered the pancakes and drizzled just enough strawberry syrup over them. She took a big first bite and swallowed.

"Yeah! I'm wondering what my schedule is." Auron nodded as he bit into his maple syruped pancakes.

"It's natural to nervous, but the entrance exam results are never wrong. You'll be placed where you're meant to be. More than likely, you'll have the Combat Basics course. You're so energetic I couldn't see you _not_ training to be some sort of warrior." Auron's good eye sparkled as he watched Hikari eyed his Masamune on the weapon rack next to the door.

"I wanna be just like you, Dad!" she beamed. Auron gave her a warm smile.

"Just focus on being yourself. You're the only one who can." Hikari quickly finished the rest of her food.

"Thanks, Dad. I've got to go now. I want to get there early."

"Oh, okay. We'll see how long this lasts!" he laughed, gently teasing her. Hikari had the tendency to be late to most gatherings.

"Yeah, yeah," she grinned. She grabbed her leather messenger grab and draped it over her shoulder. She gave him a tight hug. "Bye Dad. I love you." He closed his eyes and rubbed her back.

"Bye, kid. Have a good day."

"You too!" And just like that, Hikari rushed out the door and Auron was all alone.

Just then, their home Sphere system started ringing. Hikari had set it to Chocobo warks.

 _Gotta remember to change that..._ he griped. He pulled on a white t-shirt and then answered the call. His friend Braska was on the other line.

"Auron! Good day, my friend. Have you given any thought to my proposal?" Yesterday while Hikari had rushed into the school with Tidus, Braska had stopped him. After introducing his daughter Yuna, he offered Auron a position as his personal body guard. The ronin had given a rough, "I'll think about it, but now I've got to help Hikari enroll," before excusing himself.

"I don't know, Braska. You know how I feel about the Senate." Auron was raised in a family where the men always served politically. From birth, he had been groomed for this exact purpose. But shortly before graduating from the Academy, he and Jecht had discovered corruption within its ranks. Auron at that moment refused to marry the girl his father had hand-selected for him and to follow in his footsteps. While he had been off on his adventures earning the title of Ronin, his father had passed away. "Nothing against you, of course. I know you are genuinely interested in helping our people." Braska nodded.

"Which is why I need your help, my friend. I've no idea who exactly the corrupt politicians are, but I have my suspicions. If they all want to seize power for themselves the first course of action would be to assassinate those of us who stand in their way. Besides," Braska started with a smirk, "I know you are looking for a job. You need something stable. For Hikari."

"You know, I really hate you sometimes."

"I know! So I'll see you at the Senate building in an hour, my friend?" He laughed.

Auron sighed. "Yes, I'll be there."

. . .

Hikari arrived just they were handing out schedules in one of the outdoor quads. She excitedly unfolded hers as soon as it was handed to her.

"Hey, Hikari!" She turned to see Tidus there, with his Longsword strapped to his back. Tidus took great pride in it, as it had been a beloved present from his otherwise emotionally-absent father for starting school last year. "You got your schedule? What classes do you have?"

"Let's see... Combat Basics Year One, Magician's Mastery Year One, Theoretical Physics and Its Real-World Mechanical Applications Year One..." she wrinkled her nose. "Physics? Why would I be placed there?"

"Whoa!" Tidus exclaimed excitedly, looking at her paper. "Only the really smart people and techies get into that class! Professor Pollendina teaches it and it's kinda more like an independent study kind of class. He teaches you the basics, but every year he expects you to make a project showcasing what you've learned. Yuna's cousin Rikku is in there, along with a handful of other students. Even one of Senator Figaro's sons is in it, and rumor is he always wins Best Project at the end of every year." Tidus laughed a bit. "Rikku won't shut up about him, she wants to outdo him so badly." Hikari blinked.

"Tidus?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's Yuna?"

"Oh, uhh, you know. Senator Braska's daughter. She was here yesterday before we enrolled. Remember? She was wearing a kimono?"

"Oh, yeah..." Hikari had wondered who that pretty girl was. She wondered if she'd get to meet her soon... She quickly shook her head and snapped out of her reverie.

"And last one is... Athletics Club."

"Alright! I'm in that too! We always end up splitting up into different teams led by different professors and citizens, but we all practice together. Hikari! You gotta join my blitzball team! My dad coaches us, but with you on our team we can't lose!"

She laughed. "I don't know, Tidus. I'll think about it. You know I can't hold my breath nearly as long as you can."

They were suddenly interrupted as a loud booming voice directed their attention to the center of the grassy field.

"Excuse me, everyone. Excuse me. Settle down, everyone," a man wearing robes that looked as if they were licked by flames spoke into a mechanical box. His voice was deep, and had a mechanical click-clack quality to it. "First years, gather around me. First year boys on this side and girls on the other."

"Aha, looks like it's time for Initiation. Good luck, Hikari!" Tidus had ran off and joined up with Wakka and Zell before she even had a chance to ask him what the bloody hell Initiation was.

She gathered with other girls her age while the man continued bellowing the orders. Finally, everyone was gathered. There was a Summoner assisting the Professor, and each time a student was called forward, they projected a blue humanoid wielding a sword and shield. Most went down after one hit, some managed to take a few blows. The most interesting to watch had been the blue haired girl Hikari had met yesterday. She had managed to conjure up a cool blue sphere of energy around herself that rebounded the attack. Hikari was shocked to see the robed man suddenly snatch her arm and pull Canti off somewhere.

However, the Initiation continued. Next a young boy wearing a tall straw hat was called out. He was tiny, and Hikari couldn't believe he was ten. The poor boy was shaking and crying.

"P-please... I don't want to fight," he whimpered as he held up his hands in front him.

The person who had taken the robed man's place spoke harshly to the small boy. "You have no choice. All First Years must participate. Begin!" Hikari couldn't believe what she was seeing!

The Summoner nodded and conjured the energy fighter again.

"Nooo!" The boy covered his face and cowered in fear. She stepped forward without thinking and started running. Before she realized it, she was several feet away from where she had been standing, and was right in front of the poor boy. She didn't understand what was happening, but grabbed the boy and ran out of harm's way.

"Stop!" The proctor yelled out. "What is the meaning of this?"

Hikari realized she was back at the edge of the girls' crowd, right next to the girl Canti had been chatting with earlier. She still didn't understand how she had run so fast. She blinked, and she had been at the boy's side.

She turned around to look down to the boy. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe now. So no more crying, okay?" She rubbed his head through his hat. He took a deep breath, wiped the tears from his eyes and gave her a nod.

"Thank you. My name is Vivi." She smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Vivi. I'm Hikari."

"He said he didn't want to fight! You can't force him to. That just makes you a bully!" She pointed her finger accusingly at the proctor.

"Very well then," the proctor responded. "He does not have to complete Initiation. If you would be so kind, Miss Murasaki, take your place in the center. It is your turn." She nodded. Hikari didn't like the idea of this Initiation business, but she had to show Vivi how to be brave. She turned to Canti's friend, the girl the boys had mocked earlier.

"I'm sorry, I don't know your name..."

"Crystal."

"Crystal. Can you keep an eye on Vivi for me?" Crystal gave her a thumbs up.

"You got it, Hikari! Kick that thing's butt!"

Hikari walked out to the center of the grassy field. She felt her hands shaking. She balled them into fists to steady them at her side. She gulped. Maybe now was a good opportunity to figure out what was going on. She made eye contact with the Summoner and nodded. The fighter materialized once again.

"Would you like to duel?" it said in a robotic voice, with its sword drawn in front of its blank face. This time it had no shield and had a more lithe appearance.

"Come at me, then," Hikari taunted it.

"Begin!" It came at the pink haired girl quickly, but she managed to duck to the side to avoid its first thrust.

"Thrust!" its robotic voice rang out. It turned to face her again and launched another attack. "Parry!"

Hikari dove to the ground to the left, barely avoiding the swing.

"Come on, Hikari! You can do it!" She heard Vivi and Crystal cheer. Even Tidus and his friends joined in. Hikari felt a surge of energy in her as they all continued to cheer her name. The energy fighter lunged forward in an attempt to stab downward. Hikari rolled away quickly and kept rolling until she saw that the fighter had gotten its sword stuck in the ground. Despite being an energy construct, its weapon appeared to be quite real. She took this opportunity to rise to her feet. The fighter pulled the sword out of the earth and turned to face her once again.

"Continue!" it said as it walked towards her.

"Tidus!" Hikari yelled out. "Your sword!" She scanned the crowd for his face. She saw him dash forward and chuck his sword towards her. Amazingly, she managed to catch it by the hilt and not poke one of her eyes out. The fighter ran the rest of the way towards her and swung. Hikari took a deep breath and started running. The words the Headmaster had said rang through her mind.

" _... Keep running... Run... Hikari!_ " She looked around and realized everyone had slowed to a snail's pace around her. Their cheers sounded distorted as they stretched out her name. The fighter's sword was slugging through the air in its downward strike. She ran behind the construct and sliced at its back, using both hands to wield Tidus's Longsword.

Everything reverted back to normal as she cut through the energy fighter. It hunched over.

"Defeated," it said, its voice sounding fractured like the wound in its back. And just like that, it poofed into nothingness. Everyone was quiet around her as they processed what had happened. Vivi ran out and hugged her.

"You did it!" he squeaked. Cheers ruptured from the crowd. Crystal followed Vivi out and blinked in surprise.

"That was... Incredible! First Canti blocks its attack with a shield she made appear with her frickin' MIND, and now you defeat it?!" She clapped her hand with an audible thud on Hikari's back, causing the pink haired girl to falter a bit. Crystal sure had some power in her small body. Tidus joined them.

"Wow, Hikari! No one's ever beaten the Initiation! It's pretty much always been an excuse for first years to get their butts kicked and the upperclassmen to laugh at them."

"Thanks everyone," Hikari smiled at them all. She handed Tidus his Longsword. Her stomach rumbled. It was hours away to lunch, but she remembered she had stashed away some ChocoYum bars in her messenger bag. She unwrapped one and ate it quickly while people continued to crowd around her giving her congratulations, to which she just nodded.

"Enough! Settle down everyone. The Initiation is over. You all have five minutes to make it to your first class."

"Well, well, that was quite impressive, Miss Murasaki," a slightly accented voice said over her shoulder. She looked around and saw Minwu, the boy who had accompanied her, Tidus, and Canti to the Blitzball game yesterday. "It was quite honorable of you to save the boy and take his place. I find the Initiation quite unsavory; an old barbaric tradition."

"Yes, agreed. You don't look like much, but you seem to be full of surprises." That voice belonged to Kain, whom she had seen speaking to Canti and her father yesterday at Registration. "I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. I'm Kain Highwind, Cantirena's cousin." Hikari nodded.

"I remember. Nice to meet you!" Suddenly, she remembered that Canti had been dragged off to who knows where. She looked at Crystal and she realized too.

"Canti!" they both exclaimed, pointing at one another.

"Yes, I think I saw the Professor take her off towards the hallway that way," Kain indicated a direction with a nod of his head. "She has Combat Basics her first period, so if you girls have it as well..." He looked over Crystal and Hikari, "which I imagine you do, you should find her quickly. She hasn't had time to get used to the school's winding hallways and she can get overwhelmed easily." The boys all excused themselves and Hikari and Crystal went off in search of Canti. However, Hikari could not shake the thoughts of wondering what on earth had happened against the virtual energy fighter.

=The adventure continues in Combat Basics... Next time!=


	4. Chapter 3: Reaffirmation

**Based on:** Final Fantasy Record Keeper

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy, Record Keeper, or any of the characters within it.

 **Note:** Welcome! This is part of the project that SuzuriHeinze and I are working on. Go check out her story, The Secret Garden. You might also want to read my previous stories, Records of Keeper Hikari and Vivi's Burden if you want to know what's going on here. Also Suzuri's former story Records of Keeper Canti. Even then, there's lots of unwritten stuff that has been either RPed or heavily discussed between Suzuri and I. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to fill in any gaps.

 **Warnings:** OC, Potential OOC, silliness

Hikari and Crystal found Canti rather quickly and alone in a breezy hallway. Hikari was so happy to see her relatively unharmed that she rushed forward and leaped onto Canti to give her a hug.

"Hey you!" Hikari exclaimed excitedly.

"Why is everyone grabbing me left and right before I can even react?!" Cantirena sighed frustrated. She pushed Hikari off her back and the pink haired girl tottered to retrieve her balance.

"Sorry, Canti! I forgot about your thing with new people. I thought because we're friends now it'd be okay... I really am sorry," Hikari apologized when Canti turned around to face her.

"Are you okay? You didn't get in trouble, did you?" Crystal asked, concerned. "Your cousin was worried about you, so he wanted us to check in on you and make sure you could get to Combat Basics alright."

"And since we have that too, we figured we could all go together," Hikari finished.

"That's so kind of you both. Truth be told... I'm lost. I'm glad I can count on my friends to help me out. Papa Cid WAS right!"

"Uhh, the thing is..." Crystal started slowly.

"... We're lost too..." Hikari finished with a cringe.

"Well, then," Cantirena sighed with a shake of her head.

Luckily for them, right at that moment they saw a red fluffy bon-bon bobbing up and down into their view. A Moogle.

"Excuse us!" Hikari said loudly, waving him down. When he got closer, she could see that there was a gear floating around its scarlet pompom.

"What can I do for you girls, kupo?" As it stayed in one spot, it would flap its wings to rise a few feet into the air, and then suddenly drop below its original position. Hikari feared the little guy would hurt himself on the floor.

"Can you direct us to Combat Basics, Year One?" Hikari asked politely.

"Of course, kupo! Follow me!"

. . .

The gear-headed Moogle led the three girls and a handful of other first year students that joined them along the way to a classroom with no desks or chairs. Some students were already there, and even more students continued to file in after the girls sat down on the middle of the floor. Vivi was one of the last students to sheepishly walk in, knowing he was late. Hikari waved to him with a smile as he sat at the front. Finally, when all the students had gathered, the teacher at the head of the room, a blue haired woman wearing a similar uniform to theirs but modified for an adult, snapped her fingers causing the overhead lights to change to a wintery blue.

"Hello, children. Welcome to Combat Basics Year One. I am your instructor, Shivan," she said with a gentle smile, her braided blue hair spilling over her shoulders. Hikari couldn't help but think how pretty she was, although she recognized how she didn't feel the same way as she had when she'd seen Tidus's friend. "All who live in Daguerro know from an early age that we are preparing for an invasion."

Hikari couldn't help but wonder at that. How could you know an invasion was forthcoming when the whole country quite literally lived in a bubble? The only person she could think of who had ever crossed the barrier was Auron, and the Senate had sworn him to secrecy on what he had seen. He'd never even told her any stories about his time beyond the barrier, despite Hikari's pestering.

"We may not know who this enemy is, but those in power - the Senate, Leviathan himself - know that it is indeed coming for us all. So it is law, then, that all those capable learn to defend themselves and those weaker than ourselves." Shivan looked at each and every one of them around the room.

"You all have the aptitude to perform some function in battle." Vivi meekly raised his hand. She nodded at him.

"Miss Shivan? I-I don't really care for fighting and I'm not really that strong."

"That is fine. We all fulfill different roles. Some of you will be healers and spell casters that stand behind the warriors. But you all must learn how to wield a weapon, whatever it is you connect with most. This morning, all of you will try out different weapons to see what works best with your body type and strength," she gestured to the chests around the room. "Everything from bows to hammers, rods to maces, to even the tried and true swords and lances. If you have had no previous training, I urge you to line up on the left side of the room and try all available weapons. If you have trained with a particular weapon in the past, you may line up on the right and go straight to experimenting with that weapon. Please return each weapon when you are finished."

Most of the students gathered on the left. Vivi, having been at the front of the room, was near the front of the line. Hikari watched with a sympathetic smile as he attempted to wield a sword and promptly fell over. He had been able to dock an arrow in a bow, but unfortunately it drooped every time he tried to shoot it.

Finally, he made it to the chest holding rods, a weapon her father had told her suited offensive spell casters. From the look of the one in Vivi's hands, it also appeared they were just the right size for him as well. The tiny boy was very excited, jumping up and down and swinging the rod in the air. Quite unexpectedly, one of Shivan's braids ignited at the tip with a small spark. She yelped, and quickly clamped the braid in between her hands. Blue light could be seen between her hands, and as everyone could feel the room getting slightly cooler, her braid let off some steam with an audible 'hissss'. Hikari could now understand why Vivi had started attending the academy despite being year younger than the rest of the first years.

"Yes, do be careful, Vivi. I'm happy to see you're excited. Just please keep the spell casting to Magic Mastery with Professor ," Shivan coughed and folded her arms, trying to maintain her cool pose from before.

Hikari giggled a bit. After this, the quiet classroom began filling up with excited chatter. Finally, it was her turn. She arrived at the chest containing regular swords, not unlike the one Tidus used. She picked one up, and swung it this way and that. Not bad, and she seemed to swing it effortlessly enough, but something just wasn't quite right. It was just a bit too heavy-bladed and she didn't like how much time it took for her to alternate slashes. She put the sword back.

She tried the bows and lances. They were fun, but they didn't inspire her. Finally, she arrived at a chest full of katanas, just like the Masamune her father wielded. She looked around at the other students who had settled on a weapon. Many sword users, a few bow wielders, just as many lancers, and even a few rods and staves for the less physically-inclined. But no one was wielding a katana. She picked one up and pulled it slowly out of its sheath. Her breath caught in her chest as she saw her honey reflection in the blade. She swung it, and it felt quite natural. She did a few more practice slashes, alternating quickly, and was quite impressed with how swiftly and gracefully the curved blade weaved through the air. She nodded and put it back in the sheathe, and returned it to its chest, remembering the professor's instructions from before. When she returned to where her friends were sitting, they were chatting happily about what felt right to them.

"Yep! I'm going to wield a big hammer - just like my grandpa!" Crystal proclaimed proudly. Canti was a bit more calm about her decision.

"I like the spear. It just... Clicked." Hikari began unintentionally tuning out her friends' conversation as her mind wandered to the Initiation earlier. What on earth had happened when she started running? It had felt as if the whole world had slowed to a crawl. The pink haired girl wondered if… _when_ it would happen again. She tingled with excitement at the idea.

"Alright! Well done, children," Professor Shivan gave a single clap that sounded more like a bell ringing, and released more glittering cerulean light. "I see you've all picked a weapon suited for you. Some more... Bombastically than others," she looked at Vivi with a cheeky smile.

"You will report your weapon choice to the Garden and you will be assigned a loaner weapon until you can find one of your own that works for you. Starting tomorrow, we will begin formal weapon training, and I expect each and every one of you to bring your weapon to school every day. Some days we will practice as one whole class, and on other days we will break up into groups according to weapon type. On these days, we will pair up with older students so that you may learn from someone who has been more experience. Now then, follow me."

They followed to receive their weapon rentals and Hikari was quite happy to receive her own katana, if only until the time she got one that really was hers and only hers. She gave it a few swings and was satisfied with the results, returning it to the sheathe. She tied it to a loop on the left side of her skirt and felt an enormous sense of purpose and honor as she did so.

. . .

Hikari was close to falling asleep as she listened to Professor Ifreet read the syllabus word for word in a bored, monotone drawl. His voice sounded like the repetitive clicking and clacking of an old typewriter. Back and forth, back and forth. Any second now she would...

"Miss Murasaki!" Hikari snapped awake just as her eyes were shutting close to the abrupt clash in Professor Ifreet's voice. She bolted to her feet.

"Yes sir?!"

"You've been summoned to Headmaster Leviathan's office," he gruffed. "You are very lucky, for the simple fact that we're only going over the class's syllabus and rules today. I suggest you don't put yourself in trouble's path again or else you will start missing vital information."

Hikari felt her face heat up as the rest of the class laughed.

"Th-thank you, sir. I'll go now," she stuttered as she hung her bag over her shoulder. Despite the jelly feeling in her legs, she managed to flee the classroom quickly enough. She gave a sigh of relief once she was out of anyone's sight. After giving herself a moment, Hikari made her way towards the front of the school where the Headmaster's office was located. She wondered what on earth she could have done on her first day of school to warrant a visit to his office.

She gave her name to the receptionist and then waited in a chair for about fifteen minutes.

"Hikari! So good to see you," she heard suddenly. She turned and saw the towering Leviathan in front of her. He swept his shimmery blond bangs out of his face as she stood up.

"Hello, Headmaster," she greeted him, knowing to show respect by giving a respectful dip of her head and reflect it in the tone of her voice just like Auron had taught her. She could hear his voice in her head as she remembered their 'mini-lessons'.

'Just because I gave up that life and you won't grow up to be a senator doesn't mean I can't pass on what I learned to you. Knowing how to interact with these kinds of people will benefit you, Hikari. If you know their game, you can beat it.'

"Oh, no need to be formal! How is your first day going, child?" the Headmaster asked, the crashing waves in his voice comforting. "I trust you are enjoying your classes so far?"

"Yes, sir. Combat Basics should be a lot of fun. I chose the katana to be my weapon of choice." Hikari gripped her blade's hilt. "So far all we've done today in Magical Mastery is listen to Professor Ifreet read what we're going to do and what he expects of us. I want to get to the actual magic part!" she complained with a slight whine to her voice. Leviathan laughed.

"You might be a bit disappointed for a while in that class, then. But stick with it. It's all worth it in the end," he nodded encouragingly. "Anyway, my dear, would you join me in my office?" Hikari followed behind him and entered into his office as he held open the door for her.

"Now then," he started as he glided in, the door closing after him. "How are you socially, Hikari?" That was an odd question to ask, she thought.

"I'm... Good, I guess? I have my best friend Tidus, I've had him as long as I can remember... There's Vivi, who I met earlier at the Initiation. I think we're going to be friends. I hope so, anyway. There's Canti, I met her yesterday at Enrollment... Her and Crystal, we have Combat Basics together. We're okay friends."

"Is that all?" Headmaster Leviathan probed. "What do you wish for?"

"I want to be even better friends with them, sir. When I'm around Canti, I feel like I've known her forever. ... Or at least longer than just a day. I feel a great stir of destiny when we stand together." Hikari realized how odd that must sound and her face heated up.

"No! Ahh, nevermind. It's stupid. I also would like to meet Senator Braska's daughter, she- she's friends with Tidus, you see, and she's pr- pretty... AUGH," she gave up trying to talk and buried her red face into her hands.

Leviathan smiled. Despite her embarrassment, Hikari seemed to be thriving and was well on her way to making lasting connections.

"Do not worry, Hikari. Your secrets are safe with me. Now then, I wonder if you would do an old man a favor. It is customary," he began a small, white lie, "that at the beginning of the year, our students receive a routine health scan. I was wondering if I could provide this for you." Her previous embarrassment already forgotten, Hikari popped her head out of her hands.

"Oh, uhh, well sure." The headmaster directed her to a bed in the corner of the room with some electrical equipment surrounding it. "What is this stuff? What does it do, sir?" She laid down at his direction.

"This equipment monitors your brain activity. Never fear, it doesn't hurt," he explained as he hooked a helmet onto her. "Now, relax, my child."

She tried to watch what he was doing for as long as possible, but felt sleep calling her name. He was clicking away at the keyboard and staring at some numbers on the big screen in front of him, a screen that was only barely out of her peripheral vision. Everything blurred, and she was asleep before she could even notice it.  
Leviathan clicked some more commands onto his keyboard.

'program search show_dreams'

He watched quietly as he watched the dreams that Hikari had been having. Thankfully, all she dreamed of so far had been the sea at the beach of Besaid. He determined that a landmark was unremarkable and would not untangle the work he had done, so it posed no danger.

'program search list_friends' he clacked onto the keyboard.

He scanned the list that had populated. Currently Hikari and Canti had one level invested into their friendship, while the Technicolor Dream Team (a term Leviathan had taken to affectionately refer to Canti, Hikari, and Crystal as a unit) had only just been established, same with Hikari's relationship with Vivi. Tidus's relationship level was already at 4. Surprisingly, despite not having shared any words, Yuna's had not only been established but already had one level invested. He nodded to himself. Not bad. So far there was no entry for Locke Cole, however. He struggled to resist interfering. It was only the first day of a ten year school, after all.

Leviathan entered more command prompts, trying to look for any underlying issues that could lead to bigger threats. Nothing. As far as he could see, Hikari was a regular ten year old girl that loved life and those she chose to share it with. He figured he wouldn't have to do regular checks on her psyche until she hit puberty. He unhooked her carefully then sat at his desk to take a drink of his, as usual, lukewarm coffee. He was alone with his thoughts, anxiously wondering how the scan with Cantirena would go, until Hikari finally woke up.

"Nnngh... Oh, I'm so sorry, Headmaster! I didn't mean to fall asleep. I just go so comfy," Hikari mumbled as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"No worries, child. It happens to everyone who gets this scan done." He set down his coffee mug and looked up at his clock. "It's lunch time, go ahead and make your way to the cafeteria."

"Thanks, Headmaster!" Hikari bounced to her feet and ran to the door, realizing just how hungry she was. She tied her katana back to her left side and slid her messenger bag over her shoulder, crossing it across her chest. "Oh, what were the results of the scan?"

"You're perfectly healthy, just as you should be," he responded with a tired smile.

"Cool! Have a good day, sir!" She opened the door and sped out, leaving Leviathan to his own thoughts of the well being of his realm and the ever looming threat of the Ardent.

. . .

Hikari ran through the halls, bursting with joy that she wasn't quite sure of the origin. She wondered what food the cafeteria offered and she hoped to find Canti and Crystal there. She was so into her thoughts, that she didn't see the person in front of her until she ran smack into them and tumbled to the ground.

"Watch it!" Hikari rubbed the sore spot on her bottom that had hit the ground and then looked up. The person she had bumped into was a young boy, but definitely older than her, with hair the color of stardust held back by a solid blue bandanna... And eyes like the evening sky.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He held out a hand and helped her up. "I'm Locke Cole, I'm a third year." She stared at him for a moment, probably smiling like an idiot, caught up in his eyes when finally she realized she should respond.

"Um, oh! My name is Hikari Murasaki. First year." He smiled as she answered.

"Well, Hikari Murasaki. You should be more careful and watch where you're going when you run," he walked away and waved goodbye. She stared off after him, wondering when she was going to see him again and couldn't quite ignore that pounding in her chest.

=The Adventure continues... Next time!=


	5. Chapter 4: Reaction

**Based on:** Final Fantasy Record Keeper

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy, Record Keeper, or any of the characters within it.

 **Note:** Welcome! This is part of the project that SuzuriHeinze and I are working on. Go check out her story, The Secret Garden. You might also want to read my previous stories, Records of Keeper Hikari and Vivi's Burden if you want to know what's going on here. Also Suzuri's former story Records of Keeper Canti. Even then, there's lots of unwritten stuff that has been either RPed or heavily discussed between Suzuri and I. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to fill in any gaps.

 **Warnings:** OC, Potential OOC, implied CharacterxOC

Hikari had managed to avoid the long lines for lunch, however the selection was a bit lacking as a result. She chose two spicy Chocobo sandwiches, a small jug of chocolate milk, and a small side of mixed fruit. She paid the lunch lady sitting at the register with her feet propped up. Hikari noticed her reading a cooking magazine that she didn't recognize, but there was an angry man whose red face contrasted with his pure white chef's coat yelling on the cover.

Exiting into the pavilion, she scanned the grassy area for any of her friends and spotted Canti settled under a grandfather oak tree. As Hikari got closer, she realized there was an older blond boy talking to her friend, and it was certainly not Canti's cousin. The pink haired girl was now close enough to be able to hear their conversation clearly.  
"I saw you this morning at Initiation, and… I was quite impressed with what I saw."

Hikari noiselessly snorted. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

"... I don't know how I did it…" Canti responded in what Hikari already recognized as typical modest Cantirena fashion. She watched as her friend attempted to return to her lunch and ignore the older boy. He continued to stare.

"... What?" the blue haired girl said, slightly gruff.

"I couldn't help but notice how cute you are, miss," he said without skipping a beat. 'What is with this guy?!' Hikari wondered. She stepped into view finally.

"I couldn't help but notice how _creepy_ you are. Sweet Cosmos, leave her be. Don't bug her."

"He's not bugging me," her friend shrugged as she popped a potato wedge into her mouth. "Though I don't care for being stared at, I just wanna eat my food."

Hikari felt slightly abashed. She had done that thing again that her father was always cautioning her against. Assuming how someone felt based on how she interpreted the situation. Projection, Auron called it. At least this time she hadn't been fully wrong… she just wasn't right, either.

While she thought this over and settled down next to her friend, Canti and the boy exchanged names and parting pleasantries. Hikari learned that he was called Mateus and was a third year student.

'Just like the boy with stardust for hair…' she thought, longing to run her fingers through what she knew had to be soft hair.

Mateus excused himself and walked away, revealing his staff for black magic. Even the way he carried himself annoyed the tan girl. She then saw him meet up with other third year students and felt her heart skip a beat when her eyes found Locke. Why did he make her feel this way? She and Tidus had practiced kissing a few times and that had been fun, but this was… different. Even just the thought of holding hands with the third year boy filled her with hot, nervously excited energy.

After a while, she lost sight of the boy with silver hair. To distract herself from those confusing feelings, she scarfed down her sandwiches and mixed fruit. By the time Crystal joined them, Hikari was slowly sipping on her chocolate milk.

"I'm surprised Kain didn't show up to shoo Mateus away for you. He sure seemed… kinda _weird_ ," Crystal wondered aloud after Canti and Hikari told her what had happened.

"My cousin is probably busy with something important," Canti shrugged. "He can't be with me all the time. He even said so himself."

"Tidus isn't here, either…" Hikari concluded after taking in her surroundings for a quick second.

"Neither is Minwu."

"... Wait. Are all the Second Years not here?"

"Looks like it," Crystal mused. "Where'd they go?"

"Is there some sort of Second Year Lunch Time Initiation… Thing?" Canti wondered aloud.

"These initiations seem pretty stupid if you ask me," Hikari retorted with a roll of her eyes.

Crystal and Canti gave nods of agreement.

=Hikari finishes off her first day of school… Next time!=


	6. Chapter 5: Reinforcement

**Based on:** Final Fantasy Record Keeper

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy, Record Keeper, Chrono Trigger, or any of the characters within these properties.

 **Note:** Welcome! This is part of the project that SuzuriHeinze and I are working on. Go check out her story, The Secret Garden. You might also want to read my previous stories, Records of Keeper Hikari and Vivi's Burden if you want to know what's going on here. Also Suzuri's former story Records of Keeper Canti. Even then, there's lots of unwritten stuff that has been either RPed or heavily discussed between Suzuri and I. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to fill in any gaps.

 **Warnings:** OC, Potential OOC, silliness

Hikari followed the moogle she'd flagged down after lunch to her next class. She still wondered how in Cosmos' name she could have qualified for a subject like Theoretical Physics. Everyone kept telling her that the placement tests were infallible and placed her exactly where she needed to be. The only one doubting her at this point… was herself.

"Err, Mr. Moogle, sir?" she asked sheepishly. The moogle braked quickly, and turned around and bobbed in the air in front of her and nodded.

"Umm, about this class. Do they ever make mistakes about who they enroll in it? Does anyone ever… fail?" The moogle tilted his head at her quizzically.

"Kupo, the entrance exams never misplace students. They look at your potential, not necessarily where you are right at this moment. Only our brightest and most tenacious are enrolled in this class. You should feel honored, kupo," he answered simply, as the gear around his red pom pom continued to rotate. She sighed and nodded in response. The moogle turned away and continued guiding her. In a few more paces, he stopped at a set of double doors. There was loud banging and mechanical whirs inside. The moogle bowed, dipping quite low, and then fluttered off.

Hikari took a gulp of air and walked inside. Surrounding her now was a large lab full of expensive looking equipment. Several people, either by themselves or gathered in groups, were dispersed throughout the room. Some tinkered on machines and others puzzled over equations on clear dry erase boards. Hikari's heart caught in her throat. There was something magical about this space. It was all chaotic, but it was organized, and despite having never been here before Hikari felt… at home. She continued to walk forward, eyes lulling over every nook and cranny, hardly paying attention to where she was walking.

"'Ey, watch it there, girlie!" Flame began to spurt out the end of a small vehicle and thankfully, the pink haired girl noticed it just as it began and zoomed quickly around to the other side. She bumped right into a heavy-set man with a scruffy, scarlet beard.

"Oof, sorry," Hikari apologized quickly. The large man removed his goggles and left them to dangle around his neck, revealing large, kind eyes and a clean ring around them contrasting with the soot on the rest of his face.

"Hot damn, girl, you're lucky you reacted so fast! Ya gotta be careful here. And constantly aware of your surroundings," the man said sternly, wiggling the wrench in his left hand at her.

"Easy there, Professor Pollendina. She's obviously a new student," a voice rang out behind Hikari. Turning around, she saw an older girl, at least fifteen, clad with large glasses and a helmet outfitted with an antenna, as well as a skirted uniform. "Hello, I'm Lucca, Professor Pollendina student aide. I'm in charge of acclimating new students to the lab."

"Gods damn, Lucca, I tell ya to call me Cid. Everyone else does," the old man pouted slightly. The girl known as Lucca gave him a small shrug and a smirk.

"H-Hi. I'm Hikari Murasaki. Apparently I'm enrolled in this class? And what is this thing?" she nodded at the vehicle that had spouted fire before.

"Oh, this? This is a personal hovercraft our Professor is working on. I'm sure you're aware of the airships our country uses. Well, Professor Pollendina helped create them. Right now, he's trying to adapt the technology to use for a single person."

"Trying being the operative word," the man with the beard gruffed. The girl giggled.

"You'll get there, sir. Now, Hikari, if you'll follow me, we're meeting in the lecture room next door." Hikari nodded and started following Lucca back out into the hallway. She looked up at the older girl, stars in her eyes.

"I heard this is a class for students of all ages and we decide for ourselves our curriculum, as long as we have something to show at the end of the year? Are you working on anything?" Hikari felt a great stirring of limitless possibilities within this older girl, and perhaps a bit of serendipity.

"Yep, you heard right, kiddo. Some learn the straight up mechanical side of things, like Professor Pollendina and Edgar Figaro, just to name a few as an example. And don't get me wrong. They're geniuses at what they do. And then there are some of us who study theoretical physics, and all branches therein, and apply them to our inventions. We definitely have it harder. People like Edgar have it easy." Lucca grinned. "They're savants. I like to say they hear the machine's whispers. No theories or equations, they just… do it."

"Oh, my schedule said it was Theoretical Physics and… it was a long name." Lucca stopped and patted Hikari on the back.

"Alright! You're one of my people, then! After today's orientation, you'll stick with me. Ooh, this is going to be so much fun! So tell me." Lucca got close up in Hikari's face, her huge spectacled eyes seeming to stare into Hikari's soul. "Did you give yourself your inhuman speed or were you born with it?"

"OH, uhh," Hikari stuttered, caught off guard. "Born with it.. I guess? I only just discovered it this morning during the Initiation." Somehow, Hikari's answer didn't feel quite right to her. Instead of dwelling, she decided in this moment to just shrug off the feeling.

"Fascinating! I hope you don't mind if I ask to check you out every now and then, do you? You might actually help me in getting my damn time machine to work…"

"Time machine?!" Hikari gasped.

"Oh, yeah. I've been working on it since I was 13. Originally, it was supposed to just be a Teleporter that disassembled your molecules and rearranged them in another area entirely, but then I figured, why not go bigger?!" Lucca opened the door to the lecture hall for Hikari. Inside, there were only a few other students talking amongst themselves, and it was no one our hero recognized. Hikari found a seat close to the group, but far away enough to not be intruding. Lucca took her place at the front of the hall and immediately picked up a piece of chalk and began scribbling on the board. When she pulled back, there was a long, weird equation on the blackboard. The only part that made any sort of sense to Hikari was the beginning.

 _L=-1/4F^mvF_mv*_

Truthfully, she only understood the L=-¼ in application, but she still vaguely understood the second and third part in theory. The rest of the equation, broken up in three additional lines below the first, were much more confusing and Hikari felt she might as well be looking at Mysidian. They were all being added to the first line, but beyond that the symbols left the tan girl feeling hopeless and lost.

"Alright then. Who can tell me what this equation is?" Lucca tapped the chalk enthusiastically on the board. The whole room was quiet as the students either tried to look around the room to avoid answering or straight up shrugged, admitting to having no earthly clue.

"Nobody?" Lucca looked disappointed and a bit deflated. "Not even you, Hikari?" The young girl looked at the board again, squinting her eyes and trying to see if maybe something would trigger in her mind. The longer she looked at it, something… yes, something was starting to come to her. Something… From a former life. She kept staring, until finally… whatever it was that had been there on the tip of her brain slipped away. She shook her head sadly.

"It looks familiar, Miss Lucca. But, no, I can't place it." Lucca sighed.

"Ah, well. I'm impressed you find it familiar though, Hikari. Well, this," Lucca jabbed her chalk at the L at the beginning of the equation, "is the fundamental bedrock of my work. In particle physics, we call it the standard model. Now, as the formula stands now, it is impossible to accurately answer. But when we simplify it using a method called perturbation theory, we can make it easier. We can replace the harder parts with easier approximations. While the answer won't be perfect, it will be pretty close."

Lucca continued on for the remainder of the class, speaking about how to use the equation to one's advantage. The other students, all three of them, who were clearly on the mechanical side of things, looked completely lost. One of the students' eyes were even rolling into the back of their head in complete mental overload. However, Hikari was excitedly scribbling down notes and asking questions. Near the end, it basically became a conversation between her and Lucca. Before they knew it, the bell had rung.

"Oh, well look at the time!" Lucca looked at directly at the other three students. "Sorry for prattling on, and I hardly gave you all any information. Tomorrow you'll report directly to the lab to work with Professor Pollendina. You're dismissed. Now, Hikari, you will be reporting to this lecture hall for at least the first quarter. We'll be working together and I'll be teaching you the basics of particle physics. Ah, wait a moment now." She disappeared momentarily behind the large desk and then popped back out with a large textbook in her arms. She walked over and set it, with an audible thud, on the desk next to Hikari.

"This is the textbook we'll be working out of. For the most part, you'll be using it to read a unit a night and we'll discuss it the next day in class. Sometimes we'll use it for reference during class itself. Well, then, I think that's all."

"Thank you so much, Miss Lucca! I can't wait to get started," Hikari gushed, as she stood up and tucked her notes into her bag. She swung it over her shoulder and held the book to her chest. It was heavy with knowledge. Lucca beamed at the younger girl.

"No, thank you, Hikari. It's not often I get someone so passionate about physics or even qualified to learn them. My previous students have moved on to full-time lab work, and honestly, I miss teaching the theoretical side. I'm looking forward to working closely with you." The older girl suddenly swept Hikari up in a tight hug. Surprised, Hikari didn't hug back at first.

"Oh, ah, sorry about that," Lucca pushed up her glasses and laughed nervously. Hikari shook her head.

"No, no, it's okay. I just wasn't expecting it. I have to leave to go to Athletics Club now, but I'll get started reading as soon as I get home later." Hikari looked up at Lucca, inspired to change the world.

. . .

Arriving in the pavilion where Initiation had occurred earlier to that day welcomed Hikari to the sight of several people, easily her biggest class apart from Combat Basics, running around and roughhousing. Some were just running and playing tag, a few teenagers were playing tackle hand-ball, some wrestling, and finally Hikari's eyes settled on Tidus who was currently bouncing a blitzball off of his head. She rushed over while he started kicking it back and forth off of a wall. He jumped up and started spinning and….

"Wooow! Hey Tidus!"

"Wha- aaaaaugh!" And promptly fell flat on his face. Hikari was suddenly his feet and held out her hand, giggling.

"Sorry, Tidus. I didn't mean to distract you. You just looked so cool! What were you trying to do?" Tidus took her hand and brushed off his uniform, annoyed.

"Well, yeah, of course I looked cool! I'm trying to perfect my old man's signature move!" Hikari tilted her head.

"Why? Wouldn't you want to develop your own?"

"You don't get it!" Tidus waved his hand in front of his face. Others found this dismissive behavior of his annoying, but his friend found it endearing. "I'm going to perfect his move… AND MAKE IT BETTER! Take that, Jecht!" He pumped his fist into the air. Hikari couldn't help but giggle, her pink hair bouncing over her shoulders. Loud clapping interrupted them both.

"Yes, yes. Gather round, everyone. Sabin, let go of Wedge's head. I don't care if he challenged you first. GODSDAMIT, FIGARO, LET GO OF HIS FUCKING HEAD OR I'LL COME OVER THERE MYSELF." Hikari blinked. The only time she'd heard the F-word was when her Uncle Jecht stubbed his toe or really whenever something didn't go his way. The large teacher, with several blades strapped to his back coughed. "Yes. Right. I'm Professor Galgamash. I'm the sponsor of the Fencing Club. For the new students, your schedule says Athletics Club, yes, but it's more of a placeholder name, really. You have the opportunity to join any and all clubs you wish as long as you maintain proper grades in your other classes and contribute effectively to the club or clubs you choose. The sponsors for the different clubs will meet here on different days. If it is an off day for the club, you are free to do as you wish, whether it is working out or working on some homework." Galgamesh folded his arms behind his painfully straight back and walked around the students slowly.

"Before any of you nickel and dime sword users think you can make it in my Fencing Club, think again. If you think the idea of "sword chucks" is a neat and revolutionary idea, don't even waste your time. I teach the delicate art and precision of the blade. Now, today is a free period. Continue as you were." Tidus shook his head.

"Man, Galgamesh is so stuffy and stuck-up. Right, Hikari? Hikari?" He looked at his friend, but she was still staring after the professor. She looked at him slowly, wonder and awe in her eyes.

"I'm joining Fencing," she said simply. Her hand on her katana felt warm and buzzed with purpose.

-What lies ahead for our dear hero? Find out next time on the New Adventures of Hikari!-

*Author's Note: ^ denotes superscript while _ denotes subscript. FFN does not support Google Docs, which is what I used this time, and they also do do not seem to support HTML coding, so I apologize for the crude look of the equation.


End file.
